753^ 

^57 



rK^'There is a tide in the affairs of 
men, which if taken at the flood leads 
on to fortune." 




PRESENTED BY 



E. L. RICHARDS & CO., 

Patent and Business Brokers, 

30 VESEY ST., NEW YORK. 



Entered, According to Act of Congress, by E. L. Richabds & 

Co., in ttie year 1880, in the office of the Librarian 

of Congress, at Washington. 



^l^cLtervts soldi. 

FcLT'tners secni^eci, 

ZjOcltls JSTegottccted. 

Jbtixt Stock ConxpcLTxies 
fo~rmed„ 

Ircveixtions of valize 
plcLcecL trc Eixr^ope. 

HIGHEST AND UNDOUBTED REFERENCES 
FURNISHED WHEN DESIRED. 



^'^L 






VALUABLE INVENTIONS. 

It is a well known fact that more capital is at all 
times invested in Patents and Patented Articles than 
in nearly all other businesses put together, and it is 
equally well known that an invention that is new, 
practical and efficient, if rightly handled, with capi- 
tal to back it, will realize handsome fortunes, if not 
enormous wealth, to all who possess an interest in it. 
This is a rule without exceptions, and it is only 
blunderers who fail to realize its benefits. Very 
many of the most valuable inventions have never re- 
munerated their owners, simply because they were 
in the hands of parties who possessed neither the 
ability or the power to properly develop it them- 
selves, or to place it before men of capital and intel- 
lect in such a way that they could see its value, who 
would then have jumped at the chance of securing 
so valuable an article. 



BRAINS AND CAPITAL 

furnish the highroad to wealth. Neither can sur- 
vive or prosper without the other, and it is only 
when united in efEort that the highest success can be 
attained. Without the aid of capital the inventor, 
be he ever so meritorious, cannot succeed in bringing 
his ideas before the world, nor without inventor* 



2 

can the capitalist place his money to the best advan- 
tage. Requiring, then, only to be brought together 
for the greater good of both. 



THE BROKER BECOMES INDIS- 
PENSABLE. 

A responsible broker is a necessity to both capital- 
ists and inventors. To the capitalists, from the fact 
that men of money cannot spend the time to go 
into the merits of an invention themselves. There 
is so much preliminary sifting to be done in order to 
determine the real value of a patent, that the services 
of skilled experts are a sine qui non to the selling of 
any patent. 

Neither have capitalists the time or inclination to 
do any of the preliminary work of fixing the price, 
drawing up the necessary papers, and for all this 
and many other like services he demands a broker. 
The broker is a necessity to the inventor for even 
more reasons. Every one knows the long and weary 
years of privation and struggling that have been the 
portion of inventors whose names are now famous, 
before wealth and honor come to them in prodigal 
measure ; Fulton, Morse, Bell, Edison, Ericson, and 
many more, all shared the common fate. Why was 
this ? Simply because they themselves were unable 
to command the attention of moneyed and enter- 
prising men, who without scientific analysis, deemed 
them little better than fools and idiots. Neither 
did they secure the services of competent brokers to 



further their plans. For want of this very thing 
inventions that have revolutionized the world have 
lain dormant for many years. Unable to do any- 
thing themselves the invention and inventor alike 
have been unborn to the world, and only when they 
secured the efforts of some middle-man or broker 
did they conimence to reap the fruits of their labor. 
The inventor who lives in a remote section, labors 
under special disadvantages. His patents may cover 
most important improvements. There is not one 
chance in a thousand that alone and unaided he will 
ever realize even the Patent Office fees, and the 
probability is that his neighbors and friends have 
not the money to buy an interest therein, even if 
they wished to, which they do not. Or his inven- 
tion may have no value in his immediate neighbor 
hood but be of the utmost importance elsewhere. 
If the inventor goes to New York or any other city, 
at great loss of time and money to himself, he finds 
himself at sea. He can neither discover the means 
of reaching the proper men, nor if by sheer chance 
he does find them, can he secure their attention, and 
finally the disgusted person departs to his home, a 
thoroughly disheartened man. And only by placing 
his business in the hands of thoroughly reliable and 
able brokers, can the inventor secure success. The 
broker, too, having long experience and the most 
extended acquaintance among moneyed men, can 
always do the inventor the justice financially that 
can be secured in no other way. 



NEW YORK is the ONLY PLAGE, 

and NOW is THE TIME. 

New York is the financial centre of this country, 
and is fast becoming the financial centre of the 
world. Within a radius of one-half mile of our 
office, the average daily exchange of money or its 
representative is estimated to be the enormous sum 
of $1,200,000,000, and is rapidly increasing day by 
day. Floods of foreign gold in exchange for our 
commodities are weekly flowing into the vaults of 
the Sub-Treasury and great banking houses, and 
the accumulation of capital awaiting investment is 
hourly increasing. Where, then, should the worthy 
iaventor turn for recognition but to New York, the 
fountain head of wealth and enterprise? Good times 
have nearly everything to do with easily disposing 
of a patent at its true value, and the present hope- 
ful period is peculiarly favorable for the rapid ne- 
gotiation of inventions of value. Men and money 
are now waiting for merit. Conservative observers 
predict that our land is now entering upon an era of 
unprecedented industrial and business activity. 
"Faint heart ne'er won fair lady," is a time worn 
but true adage, and certainly applies in a most em- 
phatic way to business. The man who fails to 
utilize in every possible way all the advantages of 
good times and a business revival, will certainly 
never do anything either for himself or the rest of 
the world. 



5 
THE WAY WE HANDLE 

PATENTS. 

The broker to be of any decided benefit to his 
customer must of necessity have embodied in him- 
self rare qualities of shrewdness and business 
ability. Having to deal exclusively with men of 
pronounced abilities and business experience, he 
must be able at once to command their attention 
and respect. And in knowing just what is needed, 
and when and where it is to be done, lies his secret 
of success. As soon as we receive a Patent to sell 
we at once take steps to thoroughly advertise it. A 
sufficient number of carefully executed lithographic 
drawings of the invention are immediately sent out 
to capitalists of w^hom we have direct knowledge, 
and who have requested their names to be placed on 
our books for that purpose. And as we never, under 
any circumstances, knowingly handle a Patent 
which we cannot conscientiously recommend, we 
give with drawings full explanations and an earnest 
endorsement. Besides this we advertise largely, if 
necessary, in the Kew York, Philadelphia, Boston, 
and such other papers as may be desirable, as well 
as personally interviewing enterprising capitalists 
and business acquaintances. The ball thus set in 
motion, seldom fails to lead to a most successful and 
speedy termination. The proper manner of secur- 
ing capital varies as do the patents. In some cases 
it is advisable to sell the entire business, in others to 
form a powerful joint stock company with large 
capital. In this case the inventor receives a cash 
payment from the company for half or two-thirds of 



his invention, and has stock issued to him for the 
remaining half or third, which he can either con- 
vert into cash or hold for regular semi-annual 
dividends. In other cases, in articles which require 
small capital to manufacture, it certainly is advisable 
to sell say half of the Patent for a reasonable figure, 
and the mere fact of a shrewd capitalist having in- 
vested money in it, quadruples the value of the re- 
maining half, and gives the inventor an equal pro- 
proportion of the immense profits to be realized. 
There is a right way and a wrong way to handle 
any patent, which can only be determined by 
thorough investigation, and our advice to all in- 
ventors is, Don't sell your patent below 
its real value. If it has intrinsic merit 
it will command its price, if the right 
means are used. 



FULL INFORMATION. 

From the moment the business is placed in our 
hands, we keep the inventor thoroughly posted, send- 
ing him copies of drawings and circular matter and 
advertisements, as well as communicating with him 
by letter whenever it is needed, so that our patrons 
know at all times just what progress is being made 
in their individual cases. Whenever anything is of 
sufficient importance, the telegraph is called into 
use, thus enabling us to send a message and receive 
an answer in an hour's time, if necessary, no mat- 
ter how great the distance is. We cordially invite 
our customers to make our office their headquarters 



whenever they visit this city, and we shall be 
happy to furnish them any information in our 
power at any time. 

OUR TERMS, 

Whether for Selling Patents, Securing Partners, 
or Negotiating Loans, Forming Joint Stock Com- 
panies, or Placing Inventions in Europe, are in- 
variably as enumerated below, and it will be useless 
to attempt to persuade us to do business on any other 
terms. We have but one rule, from which we never 
deviate. A few have objected to paying an advance 
fee. To such we would say that on inventions 
which we can accept, after being pronounced prac- 
tical and valuable by our experts, we are willing to 
spend our time and work, but not our money. If 
the inventor or owner is not sufficiently confident of 
the value of his patent to risk the small sum required 
to place it before capitalists, it certainly is not valu- 
able enough for us to spend our time on. We re- 
serve the right, when we believe the value of the 
Patent to be under-estimated, to return the advance 
fee, and to refuse the business until a proper value 
shall be determined on, and the corresponding fee 
placed in our hands. We 'also reserve the right to 
refuse any business sent us that we do not think of 
sufficient value to expend either money or time on. 
In such case the fee will be returned in the same 
letter in which we so notify the sender. 



Values Desired. 


Advance Fee. 


$1,000 to $10,000 


$50 00 


10,000 to 20,000 - 


- 100 00 


20,000 to 30,000 


150 00 


30,000 to 40,000 - 


- 200 00 


40,000 to 50,000 


250 00 


50,000 to 100,000 - 


- 300 00 


100,000 or over 


500 GO 



Our final fee, to be paid to us when the money is 
received, is as follows: Twenty-five per cent, of the 
first $10,000 or under, ten per cent, of the second 
10,000, or under, and five per cent of the entire 
amount of the remainder. 



ARE OUR TERMS EXORBITANT? 

If you will pause for a moment and consider the 
matter, you will agree with \is that they are low for 
the services we perform. To meet with the highest 
success in our line of business, requires talent and 
business experience far above the ordinary, and a 
rare experience and acquaintance among capitalists 
and moneyed men, as well as ability and energy 
second to none. Your interests cannot be carefully 
watched or properly handled unless your prosperity 
and your broker's are identical ; and if you entrust 
your business to second-rate talent, you will find 
only too late that only hundreds have been realized, 
where thousands, if not tens of thousands, of dollars 
might have been if the right means had been used. 
If you entrust your business to us, you can be as- 



sured it will receive our utmost and careful atten- 
tion, and that the best possible financial results will 
be obtained. 

As soon as the advance fee is paid, the following 
form of agreement is properly filled out to suit each 
individual case, and forwarded for witnessed signa- 
ture, the prompt returning of which will greatly 
accelerate the business of our oflSce. It will explain 
itself : 



COPY OF AGREEMENT. 

ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT, made this twentieth day of 
June, 1880, between E. L. Richards & Co., of 30 Vesey Street, 
City, County and State of New YorJc, of the first part, and 
John Brown, of Chicago, County of Cook, and State of 
Illinois, of the second part, witnesseth as follows: 

The said E. L. Richards <& Co. hereby agree to act as agents 
for the said John Brown, and to endeavor with all necessary 
means in their power to sell for him his patent, dated June 8th, 
1880, and numhered 295,106, the title of which is "An Improve- 
ment in Eotary Engines," at the best possible advantage. 

In consideration of which services the said John Brown hereby 
agrees to pay, in lawful money of the United States, without de- 
fault or recourse, to the said E. L. Richards & Co., an advance fee of 
ThreeHundred Dollars, for expenses of properly advertising my 
Patent, and for their services, and in addition to this a final fee, 
to be paid when the above mentioned services are actually rendered, 
amounting to twenty-five per cent, of the first ten thousand 
dollars, or under, received; ten per cent, of the second ten 
thousand dollars, or under^ and five per cent, qf the entire 



10 

amount of all money or moneys received by ma, through them in 
excess of twenty thousand dollars. 

It is especially xmderstood and agreed that the lowest price which 
th4 said E. L. Richards <fc Co. are authorized to accept for my 
Patent is Fifty Thousand Dollars, and that upon the said 
E. L. Richards & Co. secuj-ing for me, the said John Brown, 
a purchaser at this jyrice, or in excess thereof, I, the said John 
Brown, will promptly and vnthout delay, sign, seal and deliver 
to the said E. L. Richards & Co. the necessary papers to convey 
to taid jiurcJiaser the undivided half interest in my patent as 
described above. 

In witness xvhereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals. 

Witnesses, Signed, E. L. RICHARDS & CO. [seal.] 

JOHN BROWN. [sBAL.] 



HOW TO REMIT. 

Always remit by Bank Draft, Express, Money 
Order, or Registered Letter. It is not safe to send 
money in an ordinary letter, nor will we be respon- 
sible for money lost in transmission except it is 
forwarded as directed above. 

HINTS. 

In corresponding always make it a special point 
to write Name, Town, County and State as plainly as 
possible. 

In estimating the value of a patent, remember 
that the law of supply and demand must regulate 
the price. 



11 

A Patent on articles of necessity and everyday- 
use is of course more valuable than one on a luxury 
or something seldom used. 

If you have a good thing, don't miss a chance to 
utilize it to advantage. No man attains success in 
anything unless he has the courage to launch boldly 
out to grasp it. The world only helps those who 
help themselves. 

Don't sell your Patent at a sacrifice. If you have 
a really valuable invention, wealth and honor await 
you if you make a decided effort to win the prize. 

Don't entrust your business to unreliable brokers, 
always demand satisfactory references, and get them 
before doing business. We can refer by permission 
to banking houses and distinguished public men, and 
are always ready and pleased to give their names 
and address on application. 

Address all communications to 

E. L. BICHAEDS <S: CO., 

30 Vesey St., New York. 



We handle nothing but 
inventions of value, and 
then only on the terms 
specified ^vithin. If you do 
not mean business in every 
^vay, do not waste your 
time and postage, as -well 
as ours, in useless corre- 
spondence. 

"TIME IS MONEY." 





LIBRARY 

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OF CONGRESS 




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973 


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